Luxury high end shopping bonanza is how I would describe the Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle II. There…read moreare so many luxury brands here from Louis Vuitton, fendi, Gucci and of course Prada. It's a fashionista's playground and also a window shopper's potential maxed out credit card. Architecture here is absolutely beautiful and mesmerizing. Look for the Lucky Bull mosaic throughout the marble floors. It's actually a few feet away from Dior. What you do is place your right heel on the bull's testicals and spin around three times for good luck. I'm not certain that it would bring good luck, but it's worth a shot. Plus it's funny watching others do it whilst trying to keep their balance. I did it a few times and I couldn't stop laughing.

The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is not only beautiful with high end shopping but it is much…read morelarger than I expected. I made way over to spinning the bull mosaic and there was a circle full of people just jumping in to spin the bull. It is best to visit the Galleria on a week day for the weekend is super crowded. I experienced both and I prefer the weekday 100%.

The Duomo was truly breathtaking and incredibly intricate. We spent a long time admiring the…read moredetails. We purchased the terrace access via stairs for 15 euro each for 9:30 am. I recommend showing up earlier in the morning to avoid the crowds. There are different entrances depending on the ticket you purchase. The staircase is narrow and the turns are quick and can feel a little claustrophobic. Every part of the Duomo is worth taking a moment to take it in.

Beautiful architecture, inside and out. The inside was busy but I was lucky enough to go during…read moreSunday mass, which probably accounted for half the people in there. I had to leave for another experience and came back later to see the Crypt. Some of the staff gave me a hard time about coming back in, wondering why I needed to leave even though I explained I didn't want to wait for 2 hours in the cathedral. I was able to visit the Crypt, which is only open for a short while. It's a beautiful experience if you're able to fit it in. Taking photos inside the Crypt is prohibited. Outside is very busy so be cautious of pick pockets and scammers...they are everywhere. Toilets are available to one side but for a fee.

L.O.V.E. While…read morewandering from the Museo del Duomo to San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore, I needed to find something besides another cathedral, which is what I wanted to see, to capture my husband's attention. After checking out the Starbucks Reserve Roastery around the corner, we stumbled across this monumental sculpture by Maurizio Cattelan. Also known as Il Dito, or The Finger, it is a giant hand with all of the fingers cut off except for the middle finger sculpted from Carrara marble. L.O.V.E. The name L.O.V.E. stands for Libertà, Odio, Vendetta, Eternità, which translates to Freedom, Hatred, Revenge, Eternity. It is located in Piazza Affari in front of the Italian Stock Exchange, although it did not start there originally. Coincidence?? Art brings the world together. While talking to the manager of Tavola at a Wine and Food Event in The Woodlands, he actually told us a story about Maurizio Cattelan, whose piece The Comedian sold for $6.2 million. Interesting to learn more about this self-trained Milano based artist who uses humor and satire in his works of art. My husband did share our Milan photos with that manager. We bonded over L.O.V.E.

L.O.V.E. aka Il Dito (Italian for 'the finger') is a sculpture consisting of a hand with the middle…read morefinger. The name L.O.V.E. is the acronym of "Libertà, Odio, Vendetta, Eternità" ("Freedom, Hatred, Revenge, Eternity"). The sculpture is placed in front of the Italian stock exchange. It's a fun art piece to check out that wasn't too out of the way.

Corso Vittorio Emanuele (through Piazza del Duomo to Via Mercanti) gets my vote for best pedestrian…read morewalking / shopping street ever! It has really been spruced up for Expo 2015.

Once upon a time, Milano used to be a busy city, constantly on the run, always late for your next…read moredaily routine. Being Italy's commercial, financial, fashion capital, it just made sense to ONLY reserve a tiny spot for pedestrians to stroll around (young generations prefer to refere to such a past time as "fare una vasca"... which literally means to swim from one end to the next of a pool). Corso Vittorio Emanuele has seen it all... from the opening of McDonald's in the (distant) 80s, to the competition (Burger King) taking over the Duomo location. From an historic landmark (an old cinema called ASTRA) being converted into a store (Zara)... It has hosted many a street performance (break dancing, rapping & freestyle sessions). It has been the go-to place for younger generations that wanted to spend a funny afternoon together (a few cinemas, lots of shopping stores, a few decent food joints). It brings pedestrians from the Duomo square to the San Babila square (from which one can find Via Montenapoleone for some (window) shopping). Though now there are other pedestrian sites along the line (Via Dante and the streets around Sforza Castle, hopefully not limited to the duration of the Expo). When i think of THE pedestrian street of Milan. .. this is what comes to mind.

Corso Buenos Aires is known for being one of the most significant and busy shopping zones of Milan…read more It's accessible by the Red M1 metro line to: Porta Venezia, Lima, and Lonetta (sorry, spelling may be off) as the zone spans 1.2km. It is also walkable from Duomo although I didn't attempt this since it was raining. This is a good shopping retreat for those who need a break from the haute couture of Via Monte Napoleone and neighboring luxury shops and are looking for H&M, OVS, and other stores of that type. However, as a tourist from NYC, I would not make this a destination if I were to revisit Milan. This is not out of snobbery (as I like brands of all price points), but just an FYI for those who can get the same/similar clothes for cheaper back home.

The Corso Buenos Aires is a nice about 1,5 km long shopping street (about 300 stores) with a lot…read moreof different bars, restaurants and coffe shops to take break from shopping. If you stay in Milan for a holiday I could recommend it cause it's close to the central station, to Brera and well connected via the metro M1 to the inner city, or the tram 9 to Naviglio. Close to the Porta Venecia ther's a unique Park, the wonderful Giardini Publici Indro Montanelli, which was a former zoo and you can still see some elements of the zoo architecture in it and also the museum of natural history which not only contains the remains of the former zoo aimals but also some interesting and dramatically staged dioramas and some rare dinosaur skeletons. The museum of modern art is right behind the park and also within walking distance of the Porta Venecia where the Corso Buenos Aires orignates.

I wasn't sure what this big building was!…read more But I knew it had to have some significance. I mean, just look at it. It's one of the tallest buildings that I think I've ever seen. No joke! When I got closer, and stood under it, it was towering! It's so tall. Turns out it's a skyscraper called Grattacielo Pirelli. And it's a historical landmark in northern Milan. Who would have thought? Super amazing and massive building!

Very surprised at the size of this Chinatown. We thought it was going to be 1 block long. But it…read moreturned out to be many blocks long and also spilled over into the side streets too. A sight for sore eyes for those who have been away from Asian/Chinese food for a while. An authentic taste of home. So many choices in eateries and a few gift shops as well. And coming from NYC, it was quite charming to see Chinese restaurants nestled in what looked like ancient buildings. (Probably only a couple hundred years old. But still way older and more charming than NYC housing stock)

What I loved the most of this area is that it is so blended with the surrounding that you won't…read moreeven notice you are in Chinatown until you start seeing Chinese writing on the stores all around you. I also like the fact that the area we walked (Via Sarpi) didn't have all of those decorations on the streets like you see them in many other Chinatowns: they make it look too touristic rather than authentic, in my opinion. Via Sarpi was very crowded and is full of restaurants and stores: we had a few bites in some of them, and can't decide which one was better! (Just don't expect to find the usual "spring rolls or similar": here you will find a lot of authentic chines food)

About a 15 minute walk from our hotel and such a nice surprise to witness such greenery. I am a…read moreplant freak with too many living plants in my home so I truly appreciate this urban mix with nature. I'd love to see what it looks like in the fall on my next visit. Look at the other reviews about the architects and the stats as all I know is what I saw. If you are in the area detour to see this. We need more buildings like this in the world.

I cannot recommend this place ENOUGH. Incredible food, great wine, service was incredible and they…read morewere just pleasant and thoughtful humans who genuinely wanted me to enjoy myself. As an extra treat they gave me a limoncello to cap my meal. Go! Enjoy! As good as all the ultra-pricey spots around and the best atmosphere.